Last year, 17,958 people were killed in terrorist attacks, 61% more than the previous year. More than 80% of all deaths from terrorist attacks occurred in five of the world's most corrupt countries -- Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nigeria, and Syria.

A report just released by Transparency International says corruption is on the rise in South Asia and failing to tackle it will threaten the region's economic progress by deepening poverty and scaring off investors.

Fifteen countries currently at war against an external enemy or internal insurrection have an average ranking on the corruption perceptions index of 150 (the cpi ranks 175 countries). Two of them -- Somalia and Afghanistan -- are tied for last place at 175. The highest ranked nation among those on the war list sits in the bottom half of the cpi. That's Colombia at 94.